My passion for running began in middle school, and it has only grown from then. I really enjoy the competition and suspense that comes with racing new people.
I attended Old High for my freshman year, but I started my sophomore year at Memorial High School. However, I was worried about transitioning from a Class 4A school to a 5A, mainly due to different levels of competitions and the change in race distances.
Having trained and competed on two-mile courses throughout middle school and my freshman year, the transition to Memorial meant an increase to a 5K distance (approximately 3.11 miles). And while a single mile may not seem drastic, it required me to train differently and use different running tactics to adapt to the longer distance races.
Despite being nervous, when my sophomore year came around, I raced a personal record of 18:58. Although during district I ran a 19:33, which wasn’t my best, I was still very happy with myself because it was my first year running a 5K.
Fast forward to this year’s district race, which was one of the most exciting weeks for me. I finished my race in third place with a time of 19:28. Going into district I always know my competition, so I am always confident about making regionals, but it always comes down to wanting a higher placement and a personal record.
A special note of appreciation goes to coach Robby Wood and coach Cheryl Wuthrich. Both of their constant understanding pushed me to train harder, giving me the confidence I needed to take on the competition we face.
They have always put on a smile after both good and bad races which has always felt very welcoming and encouraging. They have shown me that a race’s outcome does not define me as a runner.
I am thrilled to say that, in the end, I qualified for regionals for the third year in a row. Although regionals could have had a happier ending, I’m not upset. I know my times are there, but the course is just very difficult for me and my team.
I’m just very grateful I got to experience regionals with two of our best runners.
After finishing my last junior year cross country race, I’ve realized I have just one more season left to achieve my goals. Realizing this has led me to strive for the best season to be my last.
However, now I am now going into swim season while also training for track throughout these next couple of months. I’m very confident we will see some great times for track season along with senior year of cross country.
